The Psychological and Counselling Services unit has nine part-time therapists, three administrative staff and twenty five trainee counsellors. The unit provides therapy to around 750 students every year. It provides individual and group therapy for students. The common problems which students experience on the University campus are: adjusting to university life, feeling low or depressed, feeling stressed or anxious, problems with self-confidence or self-esteem, drugs or alcohol, eating, studies and any other related problems. Any student who seeks help from the Counselling Services should take prior appointment to meet the therapist.
I was wondering if this service is extensively used by the students. It would depend on the extent of the problems faced by the students and its intensity. How different are the problems faced by their students from ours?
ReplyDeleteSir,
ReplyDeleteCould you please tell whether psychological tests are widely used as a part of counselling services? Does the Counselling Cell have tie-ups with psychiatrists and deaddiction centres for problems like alcoholism and drug addiction? Do they have a Career and Vocational Guidance Centre like ours? Also, I would like to know whether the University of Sussex has a separate Research Cell specializing in the field of Psychology? If so, which are the research areas in Psychology they focus on? (Social Psychology, Leisure Sciences, Experimental Psychology, Industrial Psychology, Clinical Psychology, etc).
Charlane
Sometimes the students may be feeling loneliness here and there was an instance of one first year student which was of serious nature. Other problems could be food and health related.
ReplyDeleteThe PCS conducts regularly certain programmes on Stress Management and Drug & Alcohol Counselling. The Stress Management programme focuses on Physical, Behavioural and Psychological. The Drug & Alcohol counselling programme does the assessments, counselling and support with cessation. PCS does not provide career guidance since Sussex has a Career guidance and Employability Centre. The research in Psychology is internationally recognised and the main areas of research are- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental and Clinical Psychology, Social and Applied Psychology.
ReplyDeleteHi Sir
ReplyDeleteSeems like the PCS has a huge team.I would like to know if the students come freely on their own or are they referred by the concerned departments?
I also would like to know the number of sessions do the therapists have with each student & are these 25 trainee counsellors part-time student counsellors who want to make a career in counselling or they recruited by the university for part-time services.
The students either report directly to the PCS or sent by the Students'Life Centre. The annual report of PCS says the average number of sessions are 5.98. The trainee counsellors are not appointed by the University.
ReplyDelete